Dr Bright Okogu Calls for Strategic Economic Overhaul at G20 Sherpa Meeting

At the G20 Sherpa meeting held at the Sun City Resort in South Africa’s North West province, World Trade Organisation (WTO) Sherpa Dr Bright Okogu delivered a powerful call to action to African nations. Stressing the urgency of economic transformation and self-reliance, Dr Okogu urged countries across the continent to create investment-friendly environments and prioritize domestic processing of raw materials to capture greater value from their vast natural resources.

“Africa needs to take charge of its own destiny,” he declared, framing the continent’s development not as a matter of external support, but of internal reform, innovation, and strategic planning.

A Paradigm Shift: From Aid Dependency to Investment-Led Growth

Dr Okogu emphasized a key reality facing African governments: the era of aid dependency is coming to an end.

“The aid that people used to depend on is no longer available. It’s drying up,” he warned, highlighting how rising global defence expenditures and shifting geopolitical priorities have reallocated funds traditionally earmarked for development assistance.

In light of this, he called on governments to attract high-quality, ethical investments that prioritize sustainability, job creation, and industrial development. These investments, he noted, must be paired with clear regulatory frameworks, efficient governance, and long-term economic planning.

Enhancing Intra-African Trade: From Fragmentation to Integration

Despite the formation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), intra-African trade remains stubbornly low—hovering at just 15–16%, compared to 30–40% in other regions like Europe or Asia. Dr Okogu attributed this to multiple interlinked challenges:

• Poor transport infrastructure and regional connectivity

• Redundant raw material production across borders

• Trade routes that rely heavily on European intermediaries

• Limited inter-African airline connectivity, with some flights routed through non-African hubs to reach neighboring countries

He urged African leaders to invest in regional logistics, promote harmonization of trade standards, and reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers.

“Why should goods or passengers fly out of Africa to Europe just to return next door? That’s inefficient, costly, and must change,” he remarked.

Local Value Addition: The Case of Cocoa and Critical Minerals

Dr Okogu made a compelling case for value addition at source. Using cocoa as a key example, he pointed out that while Africa produces over 70% of the world’s cocoa beans, the continent earns only a fraction of the global chocolate market’s value.

“Instead of exporting raw cocoa, African nations should be producing chocolate and cosmetic products,” he said, citing similar examples with coffee, cotton, and precious minerals.

Particularly pressing is the opportunity around critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, and rare earths, essential for the global green energy transition. Okogu cautioned African leaders to negotiate investment terms strategically, ensuring local beneficiation, technology transfer, and community development.

WTO’s Role: Supporting Structural Reform and Global Integration

Dr Okogu reaffirmed the WTO’s commitment to helping African economies dismantle structural barriers and integrate more competitively into global trade systems. The WTO’s policy advice centers on:

• Streamlining regulatory frameworks

• Boosting domestic manufacturing

• Strengthening institutional capacities

• Improving connectivity through smart infrastructure projects

• Fostering multilateral dialogue to resolve trade frictions

As the world’s largest international economic organization—with 166 member states representing over 98% of global trade and GDP—the WTO views Africa's development as central to global trade equity and sustainability.

Strategic Recommendations for Africa’s Trade Future

Dr Okogu laid out a roadmap of concrete policy recommendations to accelerate Africa’s transformation:

1. Develop robust investment laws and industrial policy frameworks

2. Reduce bureaucratic red tape and harmonize customs processes

3. Promote regional manufacturing hubs and cross-border industrial zones

4. Leverage AfCFTA to encourage regional value chains

5. Ensure local job creation is built into mineral extraction contracts

6. Enhance rail, road, port, and aviation infrastructure

He also stressed the importance of youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, and innovation as pillars of inclusive growth.

Dialogue and Diplomacy: Navigating Trade Tensions

In conclusion, Dr Okogu emphasized the value of constructive dialogue in resolving trade tensions between nations. He called for strengthening regional cooperation, both within Africa and globally, to foster a transparent, fair, and resilient trade ecosystem.

“Africa’s time is now. But its future will be shaped not by aid, but by vision, strategy, and collaboration,” he affirmed.